The Super Carb diet comes up against Atkins, keto and Whole30 diets which claim the key to losing weight is to seriously reduce your carb intake.

Tackling weight loss through a healthy balance of protein, carbs and fats, the Super Carb Diet has longterm success as the goal in shedding pounds. Claiming it has a more sustainable approach to weight loss, the diet doesn’t use elimination – which often has short term success due to people quickly reintroducing the original banned food group.

Written by former Biggest Loser trainer Bob Harper, the Super Carb Diet book outlines how this lifestyle encourages its followers to eat moderate amounts of ‘super carbs’.

“[Super carbs] are fibre-dense carbohydrates that act as a great fuel source to the body and have a slower digestion process,” Harper told Eating Well.

Also known as complex carbs, ‘super carbs’ include foods like brown rice, sweet potatoes and whole grain breads – the same carbohydrates most nutritionists recommend.

According to the Super Carb Diet, you can eat carbs – but only at certain times of day. These targeted times are limited to early in the day and before a workout. While it’s not all carbs all the time, as the name may suggest, the diet encourages carb consumption in a controlled manner.

With roughly 26% of adults being classified as obese in the UK, the NHS reports that this number has remained roughly the same since 2010 – meaning healthier relationships with food could be encouraged.

For Harper, a heart attack last year was the motivation to overhaul his health routine. Adopting the Super Carb Diet to maintain his weight while fueling his body in recovery, the trainer claims its balanced approach improved his relationship with his body.

Admitting he initially followed the high-protein and high-fat Paleo Diet, his heart attack was a sign that he needed a more balanced approach to food.

Proper portion sizes, and the balance between proteins and fats are also outlined in Harper’s book to guide readers in creating nutrient-dense meals.

The Super Carb Diet claims to have longterm success due to its balanced approach to shedding pounds. Rather than restricting what you eat, it follows the simple rule of (mostly) everything in moderation.

So while pizza and cookies are still off the menu – the Super Carb Diet may be onto something when it comes to finding peace with carbs and weight loss.